Le Martret, Benedicte and Poage, Miranda and Shiel, Karen and Nugent, Gregory D. and Dix, Philip (2011) Tobacco chloroplast transformants expressing genes encoding dehydroascorbate reductase, glutathione reductase, and glutathione-S-transferase, exhibit altered anti-oxidant metabolism and improved abiotic stress tolerance. Plant Biotechnology Journal, 9 (6). pp. 661-673. ISSN 1467-7644

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Abstract

One approach to understanding the Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)-scavenging systems in plant stress tolerance is to manipulate the levels of antioxidant enzyme activities. In this study, we expressed in the chloroplast three such enzymes: dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR), glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and glutathione reductase (GR). Homoplasmic chloroplast transformants containing either DHAR or GST, or a combination of DHAR:GR and GST:GR were generated and confirmed by molecular analysis. They exhibited the predicted changes in enzyme activities, and levels or redox state of ascorbate and glutathione. Progeny of these plants were then subjected to environmental stresses including methyl viologen (MV)-induced oxidative stress, salt, cold and heavy metal stresses. Overexpression of these different enzymes enhanced salt and cold tolerance. The simultaneous expression of DHAR:GR and GST:GR conferred MV tolerance while expression of either transgene on its own didn’t. This study provides evidence that increasing part of the antioxidant pathway within the chloroplast enhances the plant’s ability to tolerate abiotic stress.

Item Type:	Article
Keywords:	dehydroascorbate reductase; glutathione; ascorbate; chloroplast transformant; abiotic stress; reactive oxygen species;
Academic Unit:	Faculty of Science and Engineering > Biology
Item ID:	7384
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-7652.2011.00611.x
Depositing User:	Prof. Philip J. Dix
Date Deposited:	25 Aug 2016 15:49
Journal or Publication Title:	Plant Biotechnology Journal
Publisher:	Blackwell Publishing Ltd
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Use Licence:	This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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